C-Notes: Scene's Music Blog

What to Do Tonight: Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles/The Big Sweet

Massachusetts roots rockers Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles have been on the road for more than a year supporting 2009’s The Stars Are Out, so they’re sounding really tight at this point. The album — a mix of covers and originals — never quite breaks a sweat, but between Borges’ raspy-but-pretty voice and the band’s solid chops, The Stars Are Out comes close enough to rock & roll at times. Borges and her three-piece group often shade their songs in an atmospheric haze on record. Live, they’re more straightforward. Openers the Big Sweet — four Northeast Ohio teens — recently released their debut album, Shot of Bliss, a set of Pavement-inspired jagged rockers that also builds mood slow and steady. The last time these two bands played together earlier this year, they all ended up onstage at the end of the night. So be sure to get there early and stay late. Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles, with the Big Sweet, play the Beachland Tavern at 9 p.m. Tickets: $10, $8 in advance. —Michael Gallucci